When 21-year-old Givati Brigade soldier Matan Amir gave a saliva sample to the Hadassah Medical Organization’s bone marrow registry on the day of his induction into the IDF, it never occurred to him that he would be contacted a few months later and told he was a match for a 3-year-old with leukemia, The Jerusalem Post reports.
It was not easy to locate him, as he was involved in heavy combat duty in Gaza. But Tzila Bargil Ben-Hanan, coordinator and locater of bone marrow transplants at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, was eventually able to track him down.
“It’s ultimately about saving someone’s life, and in my case the life of a small child. At moments like this, there’s no hesitation,” Amir told The Jerusalem Post.
With the approval and assistance of IDF authorities, Amir met with Dr. Reuven Or, a hematology specialist and medical director of Hadassah’s bone marrow registry, who explained the process. The donation was a success.
“In my view, every donor is a hero,” Prof. Or said, “and Matan is a hero in every sense — saving lives at Hadassah and in the military.”
Read the full story in The Jerusalem Post.
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